Breaking China, Asia, HK News, Opinions and Insights

About 3.16 million South Korean visitors travelled to China in 2025, a 36.9 per cent increase from 2024. Photo: Xinhua

What’s behind the surge in South Koreans travelling to China?

Wave of content creators documents life on mainland, with one saying ‘the window has opened and everyone wants to take a look inside’.

2 hours agovideocam

Will South Korea’s ‘Goldilocks’ missile dent China’s Middle East arms ambitions?

China-South Korea relations

United States & Canada

Developing | Trump uninjured after shooting incident at White House correspondents’ dinner

The Secret Service and other authorities swarm the banquet hall at the Washington Hilton as hundreds of guests duck for cover.

1 hour ago

Science

Will China’s mathematicians join a global effort to boycott the United States?

Question hovers as world’s premier mathematics conference faces revolt over American visa rules and foreign policies.

6 hours agovideocam

Health & Environment

Some Hong Kong trees are behaving strangely and botanists want to know why

Experts call for citywide study lasting up to decade to determine whether climate change is behind late leaf-shedding and early flowering.

15 minutes ago

Video

Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’

Health & Wellness

Are you ageing well? 5 simple tests to get a picture of your biological age

Particularly useful for over-50s, these simple physical tests can give you a better idea of your biological age and highlight any red flags.

4 hours agovideocam

The “flamingo” test - balancing on one leg - is one of the ways you can assess how well you are ageing. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

Trump cancels envoys’ trip to Pakistan for peace talks

‘We have all the cards,’ US president declares; Iranian foreign minister leaves Islamabad.

4 hours ago

Lifestyle & Culture

Iconic South Korean district on the brink in divisive urban renewal fight

Conservationists worry that reshaping Seoul’s Sewoon District risks erasing both heritage and livelihoods.

2 hours ago

Tech

How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Huawei Technologies’ monitoring systems speed up real-time identification of China’s primates, coastal coral, and Norwegian salmon.

In partnership with:

Huawei

China Economy

Muddy yet clear-cut: How Chinese investors are turning jungle into a new capital

Chinese construction firms keen to cement trade ties with Jakarta through multimillion dollar projects to build a brand new centre of power.

3 hours agovideocam

Construction started on a Chinese-invested commercial centre at Ibu Kota Nusantara, the future Indonesian capital, on September 22, 2025. Photo: Ralph Jennings

Politics

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

4 hours agovideocam

Middle East

New Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon after Netanyahu orders attacks

The Israeli army has accused Hezbollah militants of breaching the recently extended ceasefire between the two countries.

5 hours ago

United States & Canada

How gunfire threw Trump’s glitzy Washington Hilton dinner into chaos

Panic gripped the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, sending guests diving for cover as security evacuated the US president.

25 minutes ago

Guests take cover after US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents in Washington on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Military

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

25 Apr 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Starlink was rolled out in Ukraine in 2022 to replace internet and communication networks damaged by Russia’s invasion of the country, quickly becoming a critical tool for both civilian and military connectivity. Photo: Shutterstock

Society

Reverend Derek Li, father of injured Hong Kong Mirror dancer Mo Li, dies

Christian Ministry Institute announces death of elder Li, who spent recent years advocating for son after accident at 2022 concert.

25 Apr 2026 - 6:41PM

Americas

Explosive device kills 13 and injures 38 on bus in Colombia

At least 26 such incidents have taken place in the last two days, amid a wave of violence linked to drug-trafficking.

3 hours ago

Commodities

Tianqi Lithium favours China’s salt lakes over Africa amid resource nationalism

In response to Zimbabwe’s export ban, two Chinese companies have promised to build a domestic lithium sulphate plant.

4 hours ago

Mining trucks load lithium sulphate in Atacama Salt Flat, Chile, on July 29, 2024. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images

China Economy

Billionaire behind ‘American Factory’ firm warns of US exit amid trade friction

Fuyao Glass, a major supplier to Ford, GM and BMW in the US, employs thousands across the states of Ohio, Illinois and South Carolina.

25 Apr 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

A worker checks the appearance of glass at a factory of glass manufacturer Fuyao in Dayton, Ohio. Photo: Xinhua

Diplomacy

Macron touches Beijing’s nerves on Taiwan and Tibet as he heads for the exit

French president is trying to shore up his legacy of strategic autonomy before leaving office next year, analysts say.

25 Apr 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Football

Irish footballers return to China 50 years after tour akin to ‘going to the moon’

Players from a university in Ireland were invited to play in China in 1976 – and accidentally found themselves witnessing history.

3 hours ago

LATEST

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Business

2-speed recovery hits Central landlords as older towers cut rents to compete

12 minutes ago

Football

Saudi PIF-owned Al-Ahli make AFC Champions League Elite history

25 minutes ago

United States & Canada

How gunfire threw Trump’s glitzy Washington Hilton dinner into chaos

31 minutes ago

Lifestyle & Culture

Singapore’s answer to school bullying? The cane … and counselling

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Diplomacy

What’s behind the surge in South Koreans travelling to China?

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Lifestyle & Culture

Iconic South Korean district on the brink in divisive urban renewal fight

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Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | 10 ways Hong Kong schools can effectively promote mental health

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China

Video | Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’

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Health & Environment

Some Hong Kong trees are behaving strangely and botanists want to know why

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China

Video | Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’

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SCMP Series US-Israel war on Iran

Iran war: is the US shifting away from its strategy of precision strikes?

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

9 Apr 2026 - 9:26AMvideocam

What is the war on Iran teaching China about the United States’ resilience?

8 Apr 2026 - 11:10AMvideocam

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7 Apr 2026 - 2:20AMvideocam

Open Questions series

Diplomacy

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

20 Apr 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

Science

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

13 Apr 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

6 Apr 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

China Economy

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

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Key Industries:

Tech

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:20PM

Starting this year, models from Chinese companies have intermittently ranked among the global top tier in token usage. Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Tech Trends

Underwhelming or underrated? DeepSeek V4 shows “impressive” gains

Benchmark shows V4 trailing Kimi and US frontier models, though gains raise hopes of another R1-style breakthrough.

25 Apr 2026 - 4:51PM

China EVs

Xpeng sets August goal to overtake Tesla’s self-driving tech in China

Carmaker bets on training AI in China’s dense urban roads to build a competitive advantage for expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia.

25 Apr 2026 - 12:47PM

Tech

Prognosis positive: how AI could help China bridge the medical resources gap

Hospitals, medical professionals and patients stand to benefit as country pushes to integrate AI into healthcare sector.

25 Apr 2026 - 11:06AMvideocam

Tech

Prognosis positive: how AI could help China bridge the medical resources gap

Hospitals, medical professionals and patients stand to benefit as country pushes to integrate AI into healthcare sector.

25 Apr 2026 - 11:06AMvideocam

Big Tech

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

25 Apr 2026 - 6:40AMvideocam

Hong Kong

How fire safety failures worsened Hong Kong’s deadly inferno

The second round of hearings from April 8 to April 17 exposed a series of failures that allowed the fire equipment and alarm system in Wang Fuk Court to be deactivated for months, and eventually contributed to the heavy death toll.

23 Apr 2026 - 6:04PM

Hong Kong Economy

Hongkongers find value, space and style in Shenzhen’s new cultural hotspots

Short cross‑border getaways emerging as the ‘quick escape’ of choice, with the newly opened Shenzhen Bay Culture Square adding to appeal.

24 Apr 2026 - 8:35AM

What’s behind the surge in South Koreans travelling to China?

Wave of content creators documents life on mainland, with one saying ‘the window has opened and everyone wants to take a look inside’.

Will South Korea’s ‘Goldilocks’ missile dent China’s Middle East arms ambitions?

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Developing | Trump uninjured after shooting incident at White House correspondents’ dinner

The Secret Service and other authorities swarm the banquet hall at the Washington Hilton as hundreds of guests duck for cover.

Will China’s mathematicians join a global effort to boycott the United States?

Question hovers as world’s premier mathematics conference faces revolt over American visa rules and foreign policies.

Some Hong Kong trees are behaving strangely and botanists want to know why

Experts call for citywide study lasting up to decade to determine whether climate change is behind late leaf-shedding and early flowering.

Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’

Are you ageing well? 5 simple tests to get a picture of your biological age

Particularly useful for over-50s, these simple physical tests can give you a better idea of your biological age and highlight any red flags.

Trump cancels envoys’ trip to Pakistan for peace talks

‘We have all the cards,’ US president declares; Iranian foreign minister leaves Islamabad.

Iconic South Korean district on the brink in divisive urban renewal fight

Conservationists worry that reshaping Seoul’s Sewoon District risks erasing both heritage and livelihoods.

.css-12ooj4n{font-family:Roboto Condensed,Roboto Condensed fallback,sans-serif;}How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Huawei Technologies’ monitoring systems speed up real-time identification of China’s primates, coastal coral, and Norwegian salmon.

Muddy yet clear-cut: How Chinese investors are turning jungle into a new capital

Chinese construction firms keen to cement trade ties with Jakarta through multimillion dollar projects to build a brand new centre of power.

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

New Israeli strikes reported in Lebanon after Netanyahu orders attacks

The Israeli army has accused Hezbollah militants of breaching the recently extended ceasefire between the two countries.

How gunfire threw Trump’s glitzy Washington Hilton dinner into chaos

Panic gripped the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, sending guests diving for cover as security evacuated the US president.

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

Reverend Derek Li, father of injured Hong Kong Mirror dancer Mo Li, dies

Christian Ministry Institute announces death of elder Li, who spent recent years advocating for son after accident at 2022 concert.

Explosive device kills 13 and injures 38 on bus in Colombia

At least 26 such incidents have taken place in the last two days, amid a wave of violence linked to drug-trafficking.

Tianqi Lithium favours China’s salt lakes over Africa amid resource nationalism

In response to Zimbabwe’s export ban, two Chinese companies have promised to build a domestic lithium sulphate plant.

Billionaire behind ‘American Factory’ firm warns of US exit amid trade friction

Fuyao Glass, a major supplier to Ford, GM and BMW in the US, employs thousands across the states of Ohio, Illinois and South Carolina.

Macron touches Beijing’s nerves on Taiwan and Tibet as he heads for the exit

French president is trying to shore up his legacy of strategic autonomy before leaving office next year, analysts say.

Irish footballers return to China 50 years after tour akin to ‘going to the moon’

Players from a university in Ireland were invited to play in China in 1976 – and accidentally found themselves witnessing history.

Letters | ‘Made in China’ label should be source of pride

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | 10 ways Hong Kong schools can effectively promote mental health

Editorial | Learn from Chernobyl as the world turns to nuclear energy again

Editorial | Hong Kong’s natural heritage needs preserving amid holiday crush

Opinion | To be the world No 2 financial centre, Hong Kong must be a rule maker

2-speed recovery hits Central landlords as older towers cut rents to compete

Saudi PIF-owned Al-Ahli make AFC Champions League Elite history

How gunfire threw Trump’s glitzy Washington Hilton dinner into chaos

Singapore’s answer to school bullying? The cane … and counselling

What’s behind the surge in South Koreans travelling to China?

Iconic South Korean district on the brink in divisive urban renewal fight

Opinion | 10 ways Hong Kong schools can effectively promote mental health

Video | Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’

Some Hong Kong trees are behaving strangely and botanists want to know why

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’

Iran war: is the US shifting away from its strategy of precision strikes?

As the conflict has intensified, more energy and civilian sites have been targeted in what is seen as a broader approach.

What is the war on Iran teaching China about the United States’ resilience?

How lessons from Iran war could shape mainland China’s Taiwan calculus

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

Can ‘token exports’ give China an edge in the AI era?

As AI tokens emerge as a new commodity, China’s cost advantage is reshaping global model competition, though monetisation gaps remain.

Underwhelming or underrated? DeepSeek V4 shows “impressive” gains

Benchmark shows V4 trailing Kimi and US frontier models, though gains raise hopes of another R1-style breakthrough.

Xpeng sets August goal to overtake Tesla’s self-driving tech in China

Carmaker bets on training AI in China’s dense urban roads to build a competitive advantage for expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia.

Prognosis positive: how AI could help China bridge the medical resources gap

Hospitals, medical professionals and patients stand to benefit as country pushes to integrate AI into healthcare sector.

Prognosis positive: how AI could help China bridge the medical resources gap

Hospitals, medical professionals and patients stand to benefit as country pushes to integrate AI into healthcare sector.

As DJI duels Insta360, China sharpens global hardware edge amid US scrutiny

Western competitors like GoPro face shrinking footprints as strategic shifts of Chinese firms disrupt the status quo while navigating FCC-led national security bans.

How fire safety failures worsened Hong Kong’s deadly inferno

Developing | Trump uninjured after shooting incident at White House correspondents’ dinner

How AI technology supports conservation of endangered species

Opinion | 10 ways Hong Kong schools can effectively promote mental health

Video | Behind the viral rise of China’s ‘cyberpunk city’